Chapter 5 - The Man Who Knew Sophie Wasn't Adrien's Daughter
The attack lasted six minutes.
It felt like six hours.
When security finally confirmed the men had fled, Adrien moved everyone to the underground safe room.
Sophie fell asleep against Elena's shoulder.
Adrien watched them.
Mother and daughter.
A truth Clare had protected with her life.
He understood something then.
Clare had never been trying to deceive him.
She had been trying to protect three people at once.
Adrien.
Sophie.
Elena.
He sat across from Elena.
“Tell me about the day Sophie was born.”
Elena looked at him.
“I was nineteen.”
She described the hospital.
The complications.
Her fear.
The moment she held Sophie.
Then Victor appeared.
He threatened to take the baby.
“She was a liability,” Elena said.
“So Clare took her.”
“Yes.”
“And you let her.”
“I had no choice.”
Adrien swallowed.
“Did Clare love her?”
“More than anything.”
He looked toward the sleeping child.
“And you?”
Elena's eyes filled.
“I loved her every day from a distance.”
That sentence broke something inside him.
He had spent three years grieving Clare.
Elena had spent six years grieving a living daughter.
Neither of them had known the other was suffering.
Adrien reached across the table.
He took Elena's hand.
She looked surprised.
“You don't have to do this alone anymore.”
She cried.
Then Marcus entered.
“We found Thomas.”
Adrien stood.
“Where?”
“His private residence.”
They drove there.
The house was empty.
But one wall was covered in photographs.
Sophie.
Elena.
Adrien.
Clare.
And Victor.
There was also a map.
The estate.
The company.
The underground vault.
Thomas had been studying everything.
Adrien found a letter.
From Victor.
It was dated seven years earlier.
Thomas,
If Clare discovers the truth, take care of it.
The girl must remain under our control.
Adrien stared.
“Victor ordered Clare's death.”
Elena nodded.
“And Thomas carried it out.”
But one question remained.
Why had Thomas allowed Sophie to live?
The answer was in another document.
Sophie was the heir to a trust worth $180 million.
Clare had transferred it into her name.
Victor and Thomas wanted it.
Adrien was shocked.
But money was not their only motive.
The trust also controlled shares in Cole Holdings.
Control of Sophie meant control of the company.
Thomas had been manipulating Adrien for years.
Making him believe every financial problem was someone else's fault.
Making him dependent.
Making him isolated.
And now Thomas wanted the final piece.
Adrien.
They returned to the estate.
Then Sophie disappeared.
Security footage showed Elena entering the nursery.
Sophie following.
Then the camera went black.
Adrien's heart stopped.
“Find her.”
They searched.
Nothing.
Then Elena noticed something.
The fox.
It had been left behind.
The brass key was gone.
She picked it up.
“Adrien.”
“What?”
She turned it over.
A second compartment had opened.
Inside was a tiny memory card.
They inserted it into a computer.
A video appeared.
Thomas.
He was sitting beside Sophie.
She looked frightened.
“Give me the key,” he said.
“No.”
“You know where the vault is.”
“My mommy knows.”
Thomas frowned.
“Which mommy?”
Sophie stared at him.
“Both.”
Adrien's heart broke.
Thomas laughed.
“Smart girl.”
Then the video ended.
Elena whispered:
“He knows everything.”
Adrien looked at her.
“Where would he take her?”
“To the old chapel.”
“How do you know?”
“Clare and I used to hide there.”
They drove.
Adrien refused to wait for backup.
At the chapel, he found Thomas.
Sophie sat beside him.
Thomas held a gun.
“Drop yours.”
Adrien did.
Elena stepped forward.
“Let her go.”
Thomas smiled.
“You should have stayed gone.”
Elena answered:
“You should have left Clare alive.”
Thomas's smile disappeared.
“You don't know what happened.”
“I know enough.”
Thomas looked at Adrien.
“Your wife was going to destroy everything.”
“She was going to expose you.”
“She was weak.”
Adrien stepped forward.
“Don't talk about her.”
Thomas raised the gun.
Then Sophie spoke.
“Mr. Thomas?”
He looked at her.
“You killed Mommy?”
Thomas froze.
Sophie continued.
“My other mommy said bad people lie.”
Thomas looked toward Elena.
“You told her?”
“No.”
Sophie touched her fox.
“The fox told me.”
Everyone stared.
Inside the stuffed fox was a recording.
Clare's voice.
“Baby girl, if you hear this one day, remember that you were loved.”
Elena began crying.
Thomas lowered the gun.
For one second, Adrien thought it was over.
Then Thomas fired.
Adrien pushed Elena aside.
The bullet struck his shoulder.
Security stormed the chapel.
Thomas was arrested.
Sophie ran to Elena.
“Mommy!”
This time, Elena didn't freeze.
She wrapped her arms around her daughter.
Adrien watched.
May you like
And for the first time, he didn't feel betrayed.
He felt relieved.
